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Sick seaman is first Filipino coronavirus case

Posted on 08 February 2020 No comments
By The SUN

At least 61 people aboard Diamond Princess have tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus, including the Filipino 

A male crew of the cruise ship Diamond Princess that is quarantined off Yokohama Port in Japan has become the first Filipino to be confirmed as having the deadly novel coronavirus.

The Japanese Ministry of Health said the Filipino was among the first batch of 10 people who were found to have been infected. A second batch of 10 also tested positive for the coronavirus.

By Friday, Feb 7, the authorities said 41 new cases were found, bringing the total number to 61. So far, 273 of the 3,700 people aboard have been tested.
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Diamond Princess was quarantined as it docked at Yokohama port  Monday, Feb. 3, after a former passenger, an 80-year-old Chinese man who disembarked in Hong Kong last month, was diagnosed with the virus.

The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said the sick seafarer was the only Filipino who tested positive for the virus out of the 538 Filipinos aboard the vessel.

The DFA said the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo has been working with Japanese authorities in providing assistance to the Filipinos on the cruise ship, including providing food, medicine, masks and other supplies..


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The sick passengers also included three Hongkongers, three Americans, two Australians, seven Japanese, one Taiwanese, two Canadians and one New Zealander. 

Meanwhile, another cruise ship, World Dream, with 3,600 on board, has also been quarantined at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong amid suspicions of a coronavirus infection.

Initial reports said 33 people working on the ship developed symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections. Three who had fever were sent to the hospital for isolation and management.
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There has been no reports yet of anyone being found to be sick from the coronavirus which was first found in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

The spread of the epidemic to cruise ships has prompted a manning and management service firm in Manila to require all seafarers disembarking from vessels they manage to undergo a 14- day soft quarantine.
The coronavirus outbreak has killed at least 565 people and infected over 28,000, mostly in China. It has spread to over 25 countries and territories and killed two people outside China.

Earlier on Thursday, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III reported that a Filipina domestic helper in Dubai had died of the coronavirus, but this was immediately disputed by the UAE government, saying she died from a respiratory infection.

The World Health Organization also denied Bello’s report, saying the Filipina died of  pneumonia.


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Employers group urges members not to fire stranded helpers

Posted on 07 February 2020 No comments
By Vir B. Lumicao

Thousands of stranded OFWs applying for Php10k financial aid from OWWA

(UPDATED)
The leader of an employers’ group has reportedly called on her members not to fire their domestic workers who are stranded in the Philippines due to a travel ban imposed on Feb. 2, ostensibly to stem the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus.

Assistant Labor Attaché Tony Villafuerte said Hong Kong Employers of Domestic Helpers Association chairperson Betty Yung Ma Sha-yee called him up to say she had explained the workers’ situation to employers.

“Tumawag po sa akin ang chairperson ng HK employers association at sinabi niya na pinakiusapan ang employers na huwag naman basta-bastang mag terminate and to explain the present situation,” the officer-in-charge of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office said.

At the same time, he warned against relying too much on the call. “Alam po natin na hindi nila kontrolado ang pag-iisip ng lahat ng employer,” he said.

Already, several Filipina domestic helpers stranded in the Philippines have been posting concerns about them being fired by their employers. Not a few said their employers did not believe that they were being stopped by their own government from leaving.

Some have even sent queries about having their employers blacklisted in case they were fired for not being able to take up their jobs as scheduled.


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Dianarose O. sent a message to The SUN, saying, “Isa po ako sa na cancel ang flight noong Feb 2. Nasa Pilipinas ako ngayon at nangangamba na baka i-terminate ako kaya gusto ko sana sila ipa watchlist.”

Another, Jean M., said “Flight ko supposedly ngayon pabalik ng Hong Kong pero cancelled. Ang problema is, si amo hindi nya daw ako maantay, so labas ko terminate.”

“What to do in case i-terminate nya ako if hindi pa ako makabalik ng March 1? Pwede ko ba siya ipa watchlist sa Polo para hindi ma approve yung bagong contract in case i-terminate ako?”

To these queries, Villafuerte says the best thing to do is to appeal to one’s employer not to resort to termination. There is not much that one can do, given that Hong Kong law allows contract termination for as long as the worker is properly compensated.

“Just come to us if you need help talking to your employers,” he said. But if termination does occur, he said Polo could help the worker seek proper compensation from the employer.


Filipino migrant workers were stranded in both HK and the Phl because of the travel ban

The travel ban which took immediate effect on Feb 2 barred Filipinos from departing for China, Hong Kong and Macau. The ban also ordered Filipino travelers arriving from the three places, including vacationing OFWs, to be quarantined for 14 days.

The ban was later expanded to cover Taiwan. A spokesman for the government said this was because the Philippines had a one-China policy, meaning it considered Taiwan part of the mainland.

The sudden ban left tens of thousands of Filipinos stranded in international airports across the Philippines, mostly OFWs due to work abroad for the first time, or were on home leave.

Hong Kong has tried to intercede by asking the Philippine government to reconsider the ban and allow foreign domestic workers and residents to return to the city, but has yet to receive a reply.

It has also announced that all expiring contracts until Mar 31 can be extended up to May 31, as long as both the employer and the worker agree, as a stop-gap measure to address the problem with replacement helpers failing to leave the Philippines.

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ALA Villafuerte said homebound workers who are stranded in Hong Kong and whose work visa is about to expire can go to the Immigration Department to apply for an extension.

He said Immigration had promised to be “reasonable” when considering the application, and could waive the visa fee for those applying for short-term extensions of between two and three days.

However, one terminated employer whose flight was cancelled on Feb 6 said she was charged a visa extension fee when she went to Immigration straight from the airport, as she had only until that day to remain in Hong Kong.

Said her friend, Cyndie B: “Kawawa naman ang friend ko, na –terminate na nga, ngayon pababayarin pa para sa visa. Wala na ngang pera. Di sana, pinaalis na lang. Ay grabe, payag pala ang Immigration pero may bayad din pala. Nakakalungkot naman.”



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Home-bound Filipinos whose flights are cancelled are advised to ask a refund of their air fare. Most, if not all, the airlines have promised full refund to affected passengers.

As of now, only Hong Kong Airlines regularly flies this route. All the major airlines, Philippine Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Cebu Pacific, have announced they will resume flights to and from Manila only on Mar 28.
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Lights out in Macau amid coronavirus outbreak

Posted on No comments
By Daisy CL Mandap

The area around the ruins of St. Paul, which used to teem with people, is now eerily deserted

In the 15 years that she has been in Macau, this is the first time she has seen its flagship hotel and casino, Lisboa, without its lights on, says  Filipino community leader Lulu Portuguez.

But then, these are hard times not only for Macau and the whole of China, all because a novel coronavirus that was first seen in the central city of Wuhan, has crossed boundaries rapidly, contaminating people in several places around the world.

Macau has so far recorded a relatively small number of 10 coronavirus cases and no death, despite its porous borders with China and Hong Kong, but is taking no chances.

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When a worker at Galaxy casino was confirmed to have the disease on Feb. 4, all 40 or so casinos in the former Portuguese enclave were ordered shut for two weeks, dimming the city for the first time since it became the gambling capital of the world in the early 2000s.

The sight makes Portuguez, a restaurant owner who heads the Filipino Community Alliance in Macau, a bit sad, though still upbeat about the city. “Kikinang ka rin ulit,” she said of Lisboa, echoing a friend’s sentiment.
It's the first time the glittering Grand Lisboa has been shut down

Portuguez relates that much of the city has been quiet since the casinos, along with schools and government offices, have been closed to prevent the spread of the pneumonia-like disease.

Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng took the preventive measures further today. Feb 7,  by extending the closure of all government offices, except the “essential departments,” for a second consecutive week, until Feb. 16.


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The near-shutdown has reportedly left Macau’s streets nearly empty, with residents just venturing out to buy food and other essentials. Many restaurants have closed and small food outlets like hers are often asked for takeaways by customers who prefer to eat at home.

There is no panic-buying as in Hong Kong. “Napakatahimik ng mga citizen,” Portuguez said.

If there is a rush to stock up on food and other goods, she said it is only because everyone tries to limit the number of times that they have to go out, in line with the government’s directive about avoiding crowded places.

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Also, unlike Hong Kong, Macau does not have a big problem about the availability of face masks, said Portuguez, because the government has a centralized distribution system that ensures locals  of a regular supply.

Under this system, Macau residents and non-resident workers are entitled to buy a pack of 10 facemasks at the fixed price of 8 patacas, every 10 days,  from designated pharmacies, health centers and stations run by the Health Bureau.

“Hindi ka pwedeng bumili ulit kung hindi pa tapos ang 10 days kasi they can check,” she said.

Unfortunately, tourists and others who don’t have the required Macau ID and the “blue cards” of documented migrant workers, can’t avail of the government-priced face masks, and have to buy them at highly inflated prices from commercial shops.

Not having a mask is a big problem in Macau because no one is allowed to board public buses or enter banks without wearing them
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Portuguez is appealing for face masks for Filipino tourists in Macau

“Kaya kami we’re sharing our masks with tourists,” said Portuguez. “Yung para sa mga anak ko na hindi naman kailangang lumabas ay binibigay na lamang sa kanila.”

But the spare masks won’t go a long way, given the number of Filipino tourists stranded in Macau now, since all flights going to Manila and back have been cancelled in the wake of a travel ban imposed by the Philippine government on Feb. 2.

Even before the coronavirus outbreak, Macau has been a magnet for Filipino tourists, especially those hoping to get a job in the city’s gaming industry, as they can fly in visa-free, and are allowed to extend their visas for up to a month, again for free.

Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong often also cross the border to Macau to wait for a new working visa there, instead of going back to the Philippines where they can be subjected to additional fees and restrictions.

For Filipino community leaders like Portuguez, that’s just half of the problem, because an equally big concern is the thousands of overseas Filipino workers stranded in the Philippines now because the travel ban prohibits them from flying back to Macau.

She is unable to say how many Macau OFWs are stuck in the Philippines because of the ban, but presumes the number is bigger than usual because many workers were allowed to fly home for a vacation because of the recent Lunar New Year holiday.

“Personally, ang gusto ko sana ay mag charter na lang ang gobyerno natin ng eroplano para makalipad sila pabalik ng Macau dahil baka mawalan sila ng trabaho,” she said.

Her group is due to meet with other Filipino community organization in hopes of finding a solution to the problem.


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HK OFW released from 14-day quarantine

Posted on No comments
By The SUN


The Ma On Shan estate where the Filipina stayed with her employer's parents visiting from Wuhan

A Filipina domestic worker has been released from a 14-day quarantine in Hong Kong after she showed no signs of having acquired the highly contagious novel coronavirus.

Consul General Raly Tejada made the announcement of the Filipina’s release in a message: “Pleased to inform that the 1st Filipino domestic  worker quarantined has been given a clean bill of health and therefore has been released by the Health Department.

ConGen Tejada said the worker is already resting in her employer’s home which has been thoroughly sanitized by health authorities.

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“She has the Consulate’s number and has been asked to call us if she needs any assistance. So far she has not called and we will respect her privacy if that’s what she wishes,” he said.

The unnamed Filipina was put under quarantine at the Lady MacLehose Holiday Camp on Jan. 24 after her employer’s parents who were visiting from Wuhan City in China, the epicenter of the contagion, tested positive for coronavirus.

Her female employer who lives in Lake Silver residential block in Ma On Shan, was found with a slight fever, and was initially placed under hospital quarantine. However, she was moved to the quarantine center after being declared free of the coronavirus.
 
ConGen Tejada says the Consulate has offered help to the two quarantined Filipina workers
A second Filipina domestic worker who has also been placed under quarantine is said to be likewise healthy and asymptomatic, said Tejada, adding “we hope that she will released after 14 days.

The second helper was isolated after her 39-year-old male employer who had traveled to Wuhan, was found infected with the disease, and eventually died of heart failure. He was the first to die of the infection in Hong Kong, and the second outside of China.


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The patient took the high-speed railway link from Wuhan to Hong Kong, and arrived at the West Rail station on Jan. 21. He fell ill on Jan 31 and was initially admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yaumatei, before being moved to an isolation ward in Princess Margaret Hospital.

The Filipina lived with her employer and his 72-year-old mother in a flat in Whampoa Gardens in Hung Hom.

His mother was later found to have acquired the disease, although she did not go abroad  during the 14-day incubation period for the virus. The infection alarmed experts as it was the first verified human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus in Hong Kong.
 
It is now feared the coronavirus has started spreading within the community 
However, in at least three subsequent confirmed cases, the source of the infection could no longer be traced, leading to fears the coronavirus has begun spreading in the community.

Hong Kong now has 25 (updated) confirmed cases of coronavirus infection. Overall, more than 31,400 cases have been confirmed, mostly in China. The death toll stands at 638, nearly the same number of people who died from Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome) 17 years ago, with Hong Kong as the epicenter.

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In a further tightening of controls to combat the coronavirus contagion, the Hong Kong government has announced the forced quarantine of all people coming from the Mainland, including residents, from midnight tonight, Friday.

Senior medical students at Hong Kong’s universities have been asked to volunteer their services to help monitor the quarantined people.
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HK gov’t allays food shortage fears amid days of panic-buying

Posted on No comments

By The SUN

One of the long queues for surgical masks seen almost daily across Hong Kong

Hong Kong has reassured the public that food supplies remain normal amid rumors of shortages. This follows the expansion of the border shutdown with mainland China, as a further preventive measure against the spread of the novel coronavirus.

A government spokesman condemned the rumor mongers on Thursday, Feb 6, and stressed that the government’s measures in disease prevention and control would not affect freight services carrying food and goods between the Mainland and Hong Kong.

“There are sufficient stocks of staple food including rice and pastas. There is no need for the public to worry,” he said, as he urged the public to be vigilant against rumors and pay attention to information released by the government to avoid being misled.

Fears sparked by the supposed shortage have sent many people rushing to buy bags of rice, noodles and canned goods since Monday, leaving many supermarket shelves empty within hours of store opening.

Even toilet tissues were not spared in the wake of another rumor that a company that was making these products was going to shift to making face masks instead, as these have been in dire supply for weeks.

Rice has disappeared from most supermarket shelves since the buying frenzy began 

But the longest queues were still for surgical masks, which many people consider as their best safeguard against the dreaded virus. Up to 10,000 people lined up overnight on Wednesday outside a factory in Kowloon Bay for the chance to buy face masks sourced from Dubai.

The company eventually sold all of its stock of about 500,000 pieces of masks, priced at $80 for a box of 50 pieces, which is a third of its going price in pharmacies - if it's available at all.

Even rubbing alcohol, sanitizing gels and bleach are disappearing fast in stores, as people continued to hoard everything that they thought would help protect them from the highly contagious disease.

This 500 ml alcohol rub from the Philippines now sells for $100, more than double its former price
For the past few days, long lines of residents have formed outside pharmacies such as Manning’s early in the morning for a limited supply of masks and sanitizers.

At the Manning’s shop along King’s Road in Quarry Bay, people queued as early as 5am on Tuesday to wait for the store to open at 8:30am after local media reported supplies were available at the store. Shortly after store opening, the supply of hand sanitizers was gone.

The next day, the queue had stretched to more than 200 people by 6:30am, but most left disappointed when salesladies announced there were only 17 packs of sanitizing fluid and gels for sale.

The scene was repeated on Thursday morning, but only 38 lucky customers managed to walk away with a box each of masks. 

As the line grew longer at the pharmacy on Wednesday, consumers also milled in front of Wellcome Supermarket nearby to buy rice and toilet rolls but found the shelves stocked with only boxes of tissue paper.

At a nearby Park N Shop outlet located in the basement of the so-called “monster building” there was Thai rice for sale, but an 8 kg bag was priced a hefty $128.50.



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